Fourteen years into Imperial Senate's existence, the power of the senators had grown weaker as the Emperor's planetary governors and Moffs exercised more responsibility over their planets and systems.[24] A few years later, the Imperial Senate was disbanded by the Emperor.[1]

The Emperor preserved the Senate in order to convince its member worlds that they still had a part to play in the new government. In secret, the Emperor planned to abolish the Senate once the Death Star had been completed so that he could rule the Empire through terror.[26] Some senators like the Thrad senator Nadea Tural continued attending Senate sessions since she believed that the Empire passed legislation which had been voted into law. However, the Emperor often did not implement legislation introduced by the Senate.[27] Some other notable senators included Bail Organa's adopted daughter Leia Organa,[1] and the "Senator-in-exile" Gall Trayvis.[28]

Following the Battle of Endor, the New Republic, the successor government established by the Alliance to Restore the Republic, re-established the Galactic Senate on Chandrila.[21] Their duties included representing their homeworlds, debating and voting on legislation and motions, and investigating intrasystem disputes and criminal factions that threatened the New Republic. New Republic senatorial protocol also differentiated senators into two main categories: senior senator and junior senator.[30]

About twenty years after the events on Endor, two major senatorial factions had emerged in the Galactic Senate: the Centrists, who desired a stronger galactic government and military; and the Populists, who wanted to preserve considerable autonomy for member worlds. The rivalry and philosophical differences between the two factions created deadlock in the Senate, which led to much inaction on the part of the New Republic. In response to this deadlock, the Centrists proposed the creation of a new office called First Senator, which would wield considerable power over the economy and military. Some prominent New Republic senators included Leia Organa, the Gatalenta senator Tai-Lin Garr, the Arkanis senator LadyCarise Sindian, and the Riosan senator Ransolm Casterfo.[30] Prior to the destruction of the Hosnian system, several New Republic senators including Lady Carise[30] and Erudo Ro-Kiintor were secretly colluding with the First Order, a remnant of the Old Empire.[31]